The official Operatives format is 50 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes. That works out to an average of 54 seconds per question. Average is the important word: some questions will take twenty seconds and others two minutes.
The arithmetic
45 minutes is 2,700 seconds. Divided by 50 questions, that is 54 seconds each. If you reach question 25 with more than 25 minutes left, you are on pace. If you are behind, speed up on the questions you find straightforward rather than rushing every one.
A two-pass approach
- First pass: answer every question you can settle in about 40 seconds. Move on from anything that stalls you.
- Second pass: go back to the questions you left, with the time you have saved.
- Final few minutes: check you have an answer for every question, even if it is a reasoned guess.
Practise with a habit of marking uncertain questions as you go. Whether your test lets you return to a question is a rule to confirm with CITB before the day, so do not rely on it until you know.
Practise the timing, not only the content
Sit a full 50-question paper in one go at least once before the test, with a timer and no breaks. Note where you slowed down and whether the slow questions were hard or just unfamiliar. Unfamiliar questions get faster with repetition; hard ones need more revision.
Try it now
Start with the ten free questions at the pace above. Then read the format page for the official numbers.